Spotlight on Cullman, Walker & Winston: Economic Engines

Agribusiness/wood/paper production/furniture

Cullman County ranks among the highest nationally and regionally in poultry, sweet potato and other agricultural production. Local high schools offer agriscience programs, and the county has its own Agriplex for events and to raise awareness of the county’s heritage and future in agriculture.

There are several industries in the county related to agriculture. One of the largest manufacturers is Golden Rod, which produces broilers. Cullman County also has corrugated paper box producer Rusken Packaging, with 356 employees.

Walker County has major representation in this sector, with Mar-Jac Poultry in Jasper its largest manufacturing employer. Mar-Jac recently added a freezer storage facility. The county has more than 387,000 acres of forest land, attracting wood and lumber companies that include Jasper Lumber.

And Winston County has several companies in the furniture sector, including Kith Furniture, Owens Corning/Masonite International, Universal Forest Products, Exxel Outdoors and Bassett Furniture. American Fiberglass, in Double Springs, makes bathtubs and shower units.

Automotive

The automotive sector is a major economic driver in Cullman County, and many of its largest manufacturing employers are automotive suppliers. Those include Topre America Corp., the largest manufacturing employer; along with REHAU Automotive LLC; Yutaka Technologies; and Royal Technologies. McGriff Industries, in Cullman, makes tires. Topre America and REHAU have announced recent expansions.

The automotive sector in Walker County is on a roll, with multiple Tier 1 suppliers employing more than 600 people. Those include Yorozu Automotive, HTNA, Nitto and Heiche US Surface Technologies. Heiche announced in 2023 it is working on a $25 million expansion.

Lippert Components, in Winston County, makes elements of leisure vehicles, and Fontaine Trailer makes semi-truck trailers.

Higher Education

Wallace State and Bevill State community colleges serve this tri-county area, offering a mix of academic and career-prep options.

Wallace State contributes approximately $212.6 million annually to the local economy and supports 3,348 jobs in its service area. An associate degree from Wallace State is valued at $373,800 in higher earnings over a graduate’s lifetime, and the added tax revenue from higher earnings amounts to $75.7 million.

Bevill State Community College, with five campuses including two campuses in Walker County – Jasper and Sumiton – has a large impact on the area. In FY 2020-21, Bevill State reported a total economic impact of $281.8 million.

Both colleges are partnering in or building workforce development centers.

Manufactured homes/diversified manufacturing

Winston County is home to several manufactured homes companies, employing hundreds of people, and this sector continues to expand. These include Clayton Homes, Regional Home Builders and Tru Homes.

Cullman County lists plumbing connection system maker Reliance Worldwide among its largest manufacturing employers, with nearly 500 workers. Other manufacturing ranges from metal buildings to caskets to machining to bedding products.

Health Care

Cullman Regional Medical Center is the largest employer in Cullman County. The hospital recently completed a $30 million, two-phase expansion project that includes 30 new beds in its critical care and medical surgical units, a four-story bed tower and a major renovation to patient care areas. The hospital also renovated its main lobby and front entrance. It also opened a Level II NICU, an overall expansion of its obstetric and nursery services.

Walker Baptist Medical Center, a part of Brookwood Baptist Health, has made several major capital improvements. It is one of the largest employers in Walker County. In August, Orlando Health signed a definitive agreement to purchase Tenet Healthcare’s majority interest in Brookwood Baptist Health in Birmingham. That agreement also includes Walker Baptist Medical Center and other Alabama hospitals in the Brookwood Baptist Health network.

Lakeland Community Hospital, in Haleyville, is one of Winston County’s largest employers. It is owned by the Haleyville and Winston County Hospital Authority.

Aerospace/aviation

With its proximity to Huntsville, Cullman Regional Airport’s Folsom Field is following a long-range plan to improve and grow. In August 2024, officials broke ground on a major renovation of its terminal apron and new hangars. And an additional $1 million to help fund the renovation also was announced.

Cullman also has some aerospace companies such as General Dynamics.

In Walker County, it was recently announced that a Virginia corporation will be building a military munitions testing ground in the Townley area, which will be used by Redstone Arsenal.

Sanders Aviation and Sanders Flight Training Center in Walker County serves pilots and also is a Part 141 certified training center, the highest flight school rating possible. Many military pilots who want to transition to commercial flying are trained there — it is one of the largest military-to-airline transition flight schools in the southeast. It also offers a partnership with Delta Aircrew Training Center. Courses also include ground and flight lessons, with opportunities for children to get started.

In Winston County, the city of Haleyville’s Posey Field Airport received an FAA grant to repair a hangar.

Business Briefs:

December 2024: The historic WPA-built Sherer Auditorium is set to become the new Jasper City Hall. The historic façade has been restored, and the building will house council chambers and several city offices.

September 2024: Wallace State Community College plans a fall ribbon cutting for the new Winston County Learning Center in Arley. It will offer adult education, workforce training and more.

August 2024: Heman Drummond Center for Innovation is now in the works, slated to offer programs for students from Walker County and Jasper City school systems.

August 2024: Warrior Met Coal is set for a major investment in Walker County to construct an overland conveyor to transport coal from its Blue Creek Mine to a new loading terminal in Walker County.

August 2024: Global Technical Solutions, a Virginia-based corporation, purchases 1,900 acres in Walker County at a reclaimed strip mine to redevelop as a military munitions testing ground for Department of Defense contractors and the military. The new company for the site will be called Defense Munitions Proving Ground (DMPG).

August 2024: The Walker Area Community Foundation announces the historic White House on Fifth will serve as a new museum, art gallery and event venue.

August 2024: Orlando Health announces its plans to purchase majority ownership of Walker Baptist Medical Center and four other hospitals in Alabama’s Baptist System from Tenet Healthcare.

July 2024: The Walker County Economic & Industrial Development Authority secures $4.7 million in Growing Alabama funds for site development in the Heritage Industrial Park.

May 2024: Walker County schools receive a $1 million grant from the Appalachian Regional Commission for a STEM facility at Bankhead Middle School in Cordova. The grant is matched with $1 million in local resources.

July 2024: Love’s Travel Stop owns a 22-acre plot within the Drummond Co.’s Heritage Landing multi-purpose development site adjacent to I-22 in Walker County with plans for a major facility. Phase 1 of the entire development was completed earlier this year, adding utilities and high-speed broadband access. 

June 2024: Phase 1 of Heritage Landing is complete, adding full utility access to attract retail, commercial and/or industrial tenants to build out along Interstate 22. Drummond Co. is developing the 50-acre, multi-purpose site.

May 2024: The Walker County Economic & Industrial Development Authority secures $343,000 in state SEED funding to complete the purchase of 200 acres for the new Heritage Industrial Park.

May 2024:  Cullman Regional opens North Alabama’s newest Level II NICU and adds staff.

April 2024: Two Jasper orthopedic surgeons open Alabama Back Institute in a historic building in downtown Jasper.

April 2024 : REHAU Automotive announces a $10 million expansion for a new product line to meet a new contract for Nissan.

April 2024: Valicor Environmental Services LLC announces the construction of a $3.2 million non-hazardous waste solidification facility in Cullman County. This facility reduces waste processing cost for a number of companies throughout the North Alabama region.

April 2024: Tolko, a British Columbian company, completes the purchase of Jasper Lumber Co., renaming it Jasper Forest Products LLC.

March 24: New in Cullman is PTP Lab, a medical and exercise R&D start-up focusing on assisting the defense and law enforcement sectors with ways to prepare the human body to perform and recover from specialized mission-based tasks.

March 2024: The Alabama Community College System and Bevill State Community College announced plans to develop the Alabama Energy Infrastructure Training Center and Network to prepare workers for the energy industry.

March 2024: The Jasper Free Public WiFi program is activated, covering all of downtown Jasper and five public housing communities.

November 2023: Sean Johnson, a health-care veteran with more than 25 years of administrative experience, is appointed CEO of Walker Baptist Medical Center.

June 2024: Trident Marina owner Jeff Tolbert is developing a destination resort on Smith Lake, including a five-star hotel, conference venue, boat slips, 300 home sites, boat rentals, sunset tours, signature golf courses and more.

November 2023: Wallace State recently opened a new Workforce Training Center on the grounds of REHAU’s automotive manufacturing facility in Cullman, providing facilities for the college’s Center for Career and Workforce Development.

September 2023: Topre America Corp. announces a $17.4 million expansion to add warehouse space at its North American headquarters plant in Cullman. The project created 50 jobs.

August 2023: Serta Simmons opens a second mattress making facility in Cullman, a $1 million capital investment creating 50 jobs.

August 2023: Wallace State opens an $8.8 million Center for Welding Technology and Innovation and has announced plans for nearly $49 million in new campus construction. This includes a $35 million STEM Gateway building for first-year students, a $9.6 million facility for automotive technology, and a $4.2 million building for machine tool technology.

August 2023: Construction is almost complete on poultry processor Mar Jac’s 50,000-square-foot freezer storage facility.

August 2023: The Prince George, BC, company D7 Group locates its U.S. operations in Jasper. The company offers construction consulting, project management and more in the solid wood, engineered wood and pulp/paper industries.

August 2023: Ingka Investments plans to develop three to five solar power installations in Walker County that will result in a total investment of at least $525 million.

July 2023: Cullman Regional Medical Center is now a 175-bed hospital with the completion of a $30 million, two-phase expansion project, which includes adding 30 new beds to its critical care and medical surgical units, a new four-story bed tower and a major renovation of patient care areas.

June 2023: Walmart Distribution committed to a $350 million retrofit and expansion of its distribution center in Cullman.

June 2023: North Alabama Fabricating Co. began construction of a $14,350,000 office facility at its Cullman plant, adding 35 new jobs.

February 2023: Germany-based Heiche US Surface Technologies in Jasper is working on a $25 million expansion. The firm is a Tier 1 supplier for Mercedes and Volkswagen and a Tier 2 supplier for several sub-suppliers.

February 2023: REHAU Automotive announces a $66 million expansion for a new paint line focused on the production of body panels for Mercedes electric vehicles. The project created 50 jobs.

January 2023: BBLU Inc., a food grade storage container manufacturer, expanded in Cullman County adding 45,000 square feet for a new production line.

This article appears in the November 2024 issue of Business Alabama.